Fluid machine



April 9, 1935. F. R. THOMAS 1,996,339

FLUID MACHINE Filed Feb. 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 9, 1935. F. R. THOMAS 1,996,889

I FLUID MACHINE F iled Feb. 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 UNITED T FF 1,996,889 aUm Frank R. Thomas, Ls'Angeles, Galif. Application Februaryll, 1933, Serial No; 656,226

' 1"Claim. (01. 103 162) 'Ijhisinvention relates to a fluid machine which may be used as a fluid motor or a fluid pump.

Itis an object or this invention to producea fluid machine which may be used asa fluid motor A-further, object is to produce-a fluid pump which will delivera substantially constant flow of fluid, 1

A further object is to produce a' fluid pump which, is adaptablefor pumping gaseous, orliquid fluids or a fluid comprising a mixture of gases and liquid of any proportion. 1

. Av furtherobject is toproduce a'fluid pump in whichthe fluid being'pumped will flow in nearly a straight, path from the inlet to the discharge endthereof; r

,A further, object, is to' produce aafluid. pump capableofpumpingivery viscousfluidsp y ,Aiurther object 'is'to produce a fluid pump having-valve means so arranged vthat the full cross sectionalareajof theipumping bores ofthe pump cylinders will-be opened to the inletpas sages during the greater portion of the suction phase, of :the pumping cycle. and fullyopened ,to the outlet passage during thedischarge phaselof saidcycle; a

Other objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent as the nature ofthe same is more fully understood from the following description and accompanying drawings wherein is set forth what is now considered tube, a preferred embodiment. It shouldrbe understood, however, that this particular embodiment of the invention is chosen principally for the purpose of exemplification, andv that variations therefrom in details of construction or arrangement of parts may accordingly be efiected,land yetremain within the spirit and scope of theinvention as the same is set forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings: v Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of one form of the invention; i

Figure 2 illustrates an enlarged sectional 'view' taken substantially in the plane of line 2-2 of Figurelt r Figure'3 illustrates an enlarged sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line '3-3 of Figure 1. v 7 a Figure 4 illustrates an enlarged sectional view ofrFigure 1. I

In the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inelusive, a suitable housing! may be formed of two substantially similar portions II and :12 and each portion may be provided with a central bore 13. -As may be observed from Figures land 4,

28 by suitable bolt means 29, while the cylinder the half Portions with their. central. bores are angularly bolted together as bymeans of suitable flanges l4 and bolts;l5. A cylinder 16 may be operatively mounted in the half portion I l while correspondingcylinder 'Il may be mounted in the 5 half portion l2; It is preferable to provide clearance space between each cylinder and its half portionsoas not to havethefrictional drag of such large surfaces; however, if desired, the cylinders maybe journaled in their respective casings, 10 The cylinders may 'besupported by a common axle I8 havingarmsl [Band 20 ,angularly related to the same degree asthat of the casing, and upon each of s'aid arms abearingbushing 21 may be slidably mounted. butkeyed against rotation as by .means of key 22- acting in key way 23. Each cylinder may be journaled upon one of the bushings and, if desired, suitable anti-friction bearing may be provided. The bushings; may, be supported bysuitable cylinder headsr24 and 25, and in turnmay support theaxlelB. Each-bushing may be slidably mounted in its respectivecylinder head and'keyed against rotation as by means of key 26 and key way 21. Each cylinder head he'ad 25 may be clamped between the casing por- 0' tion l2 and-the outlet cover, v3ll;by similarbolt means 3|. "And each of the cylinder heads may be'locked against rotation as by thekeys' 32 (note Figures 2, 3 and 4); r r The cylinders may be provided'with any desired number of bores as, for (example, cylinder lfimay be provided withsixbores 33 while cylinder yl'l may be provided with a like number of bores 34, which bores are arranged parallel to the'axial center of'theirrespective cylinders, and for converiience may be referred was the opposed cylinder bores. Due'to the angular relation of the cylinders, the opposed cylinder bores are likewise angularly related.v I I a f A piston means 35 may be SIidabIyandrotatably mounted in each set of opposed cylinder boresandeach piston maybe ofsuch size as to form a close 'working'fit with its respective bores so as to form an effective fluid seal therewith If 50 preferred, each end ofeach piston may be'provided'with piston rings or othercommon means for effectively sealing the pistons in the bores. Each piston may be provided with a fluid passage 36 of: relatively large size for forming a means of communication between the opposed cylinder bores. r

' A relative movement of'the pistons along the cylinder bores is effected during the rotation, of the cylinders due'to the angularity of the two portions of the machine. :The greater the angularity, the greater will be the relativemotionor stroke of the pistons. However, as maybe noted,

the pistons do not act as pistons orplun gersof the ordinary type of pump due to the passagetherethrough but do act as, an operative fluid sealing-and conveying means between each set of opposed cylinder bores.

upper piston has 'moved a considerable distance from the adjacent faces of the cylinder heads while each end ofthe lower piston closely approaches the adjacent faces of the cylinder heads.

Thus the length of the fluid passage; when the opposed bores are in the upper positionlis longer 7 ,by the distance equal to the amount the. piston ends have movedawayfrornthecylinder heads. This distance is gradually'reduced until finally the 1 piston arrives at 1 the 7 lowerposition whereat the ends of the piston have moved'into closef 'proxim'ityto the cylinder heads. And, therefore;

during downward travel ofeach piston the fluid passage is reduced in length, thereby -displacing an amount of fluid substantially equal-to the difference in length of thefluid passage. During the upward travel of the pistons. the fluid pas sage is lengthened until the pistonsreturn-to the upper position so, therefore; fluid will be J drawn into the fluid passage in: proportion to its increase inlength.

Valve means may be provided for permitting fiuid to flow intothe passagesduringonly their upward movement and other valve means may beprovided forpermittingonly the fluid disv placed by the shortening of the fluid passage dur l ing' the downward travel of the} pistons to discharge therefrom. l 7 7 The inlet valve means may be providedfor the bores 33 of cylinder "which mayincludethe cylinder head 24 in which an inlet port 31 (note Figure 2) maybe providedandso arrangedas to fully uncover the-cylinder bores 33 during the upward movement of thepassages; thus providing an unobstructed opening through which the fluid *may freely flow into the cylinder bores.

The cylinder head may-be arranged toform a close working fit with the valve end of cylinder I so as to effectivelyseal bores 33 during the downward movement thereof. correspondingly; the cylinder head 25may be provided with a discharge I port 38 (note Figure 3) arranged to. fully uncover the cylinder bores 34 duringdownward movement'thereof and therebyito provide an unobstructed opening through which the fluid may be forced out during the shortening of the passages. The cylinderheadfi may be likewise arranged to form a close Working fit with the valveend of cylinder l'l so as to effectively seal the cylinder, bores .34 during the upward movement of the passages during which, time the passages are opened by the port 31 for admission of the fluid being pumped; Should the direction of rotation be reversed, the inlet valve will become the discharge valve while the discharge valve will become the inlet valve and the direction of fluid flow will also be reversed. V e V The valve or cylinder heads, and 25 may be fixedly mounted in the casing and, therefore, it

The pumping action is due to the change in effective length of the fluid passage formed by the opposed bores andpisto'ns; It may be noted in Figure 4 that each endotthe may be desirable to provide means'for maintaining each cylinder in close working relation with their respective cylinder heads, irrespective of expansion or contraction .of the casing. Such means may include providing each bushing 2| with an outwardly projecting radial flange 39 I against which the piston end of its respective cylinder may rotate. If desired, an anti-friction thrust bearing may be provided between the flanges and cylinders, while the oppositeend of each bushingmay be screw threaded. at 40 to receive :a pair oflock nuts 4| for retaining a flanged washer 42 in predetermined relation with respect'to its adjacent cylinder head and a suitable spring means 43 may be mounted upon each bushing and positioned between the washer and cylinder head. It should be remembered that each bushingisslidably mounted through its cylinder head.and', therefore, each spring means free to yieldingly retain its respective cylinder in close working relation with lts rspectiv'ecy inder head, Should it be desir'edthe ring u may be removedfrom each and each washer 42' brought into direct contact with'itsre'spective cylinder head so as to firmly retain each cylinder in a close w'orking relation with its respective cylinder head. I This latter maybe the preferred arrangement when relatively high pressuresare to be pumped- It is desirableto-provide means for j simultane V ously "rotating the' cylinders. Many-different forms of drive means may provided/The drive means illustrated in Figuresv l to 4,- inclusive,

may" include providingv each casing portion with a suitable gear housing and 45, each having} projecting boss ,46 and" arranged to abutagalnst each otherand a suitable fluid sealingmeans-48 cover 50. may be provided with a closed bearing.

boss 52' for supporting the short end of the drive shaft. While thegear housing 45'may be provided with'a suitable cover 53 fastened thereto as by meansof cap screws 54 and cover 53. maybe provided with a suitable stufllng,ithrough which the long or drive end of shaft 48 may extend. A drive gear 55 may be suitably mounted upon shaft 48 within housing 44 while a similar gear 56 may be suitably mounted uponshaftilll within housing 45. The cylinder wmayb'e providedwith a suitable-gear Slarranged tomeshwith gear 55 while cylinder lI' may be provided with gear 54 arranged to mesh with gear 56. By this arrangement, each cylinder will be independently driven so as to remove any .drivingor binding strain from the pistons.

' It may be desirable (so-maintain IO -under the inlet pressure and, therefore, a port Nina) be formed through thecylinder head 24. so as to communicate with the bore I! of thecasing'and also a duct means 60 may be provided to convey inlet pressure to the two gear housings and 45.

. The .inletcover 28. may be provided with an inlet pipe 6| while the outlet cover 30 may beproyided withadischargepipefl. V, 1, v In the operation of'the fluid. machine tratedin Figures 1 to 4,'inclusive, as a fluid rump,

the inlet pipe 6| may be. communicated with'a suitable source of .fluidsupply and the outlet pipe 62 arranged to conduct the discharge fluid from the machine, A source of power is connected to chine, relatively heavy viscous fluid may be suethe drive shaft 9 for rotating the cylinders in a direction so that the bores 33 of cylinder I 6 will communicate with the inlet port 31 during the upward movement of the pistons whereby, as the pumping passage increases in length, the fluid will be drawn into the pasasge. And during the downward travel of the pistons the bores 33 are efiectively sealed by the cylinder head 24 but the cylinder bores 34 are in communication with the discharge port 38 of cylinder head 25, thus per-V mitting the excess fluid to be displaced as the passages are shortened. Should the direction of rotation of the cylinders be reversed, the flow of fluid will also be reversed; in other words, the invention is a truly reversible pump which may be of considerable advantage in certain chemical or distilling processes. And also due to the free unobstructed passages throughout the entire macessfully pumped.

for the sake of illustration, but is of scope of the following claims:

I claim:

In a fluid pump, a casing, a pair of angularly related cylinders operatively mounted in thecasing, each having a plurality of bores, a hollow piston means operatively mounted in each pair of opposed cylinder bores to form a means of communication betw'een said bores, an inlet valve means operatively associated with one of said cylinders, a discharge valve means operatively associated with the other of said cylinders, and a drive means the full for simultaneously and independently rotating each of said cylinders.

FRANK R. THOMAS. I 

